Let Her Cry
by princess2891
Summary: It's three years after the war, and Hermione is alone. No family, no friends, and no Ron. When Hermione is attacked and saved by her longlost friend... Full summary available in my profile. Now Alternate Universe. ****I am going to update this soon!****
1. She sits alone

**My story is based upon this song Let her Cry by Hootie and the Blowfish. (So look up the lyrics if you want to see the gist of the story. Or if I get enough requests, I'll post it with my next chapter.) Not every aspect of it follows the song, but hearing the song gave me the inspiration for this story. Warning: If you do not like drama/emotion in your stories, then steer clear of this one! J** **This story will also contain a bit of smut/ explicit scenes, hence the M rating.**

**(Oh and just a bit of information to know before you read. If you don't already know, a Bounty Hunter is someone who pursues a criminal or fugitive for whom a reward is offered. In my story, bounty hunting is illegal by ministry standards. There are private sects who hire Bounty Hunters and pay them under the table, but it is still illegal in the wizarding world.)**

**Oh, and italics represent a flashback in this chapter. Just a little FYI.**

**And now, let the story begin…**

Chapter One.

Hermione stared down at her emptying glass, wondering just how many more it would take to erase, or at the very least ease, her immense pain. She planned on getting positively plastered tonight, not even caring if she wound up making a scene. Which she knew she probably would.

Feeling a pair of eyes upon her, she looked up from her glass and saw a man standing beside her at the bar, glancing at her with evident interest. Ignoring him, she drained the glass and set it down, all too ready for her fourth glass of the night. "Mind if I sit here?" The man finally asked, gesturing to the stool next to her.

She sighed. Tonight was definitely not the night to fuck with her. "I was really hoping to spend tonight alone," she snapped, looking down the bar for the bartender.

The man looked taken aback. "Now why would someone like you want to spend an opportune Saturday like tonight alone?"

Hermione laughed bitterly. Oh if only he knew. Then he wouldn't even dare approach her. "I really don't think it's any of your business," she replied coldly, wishing that she could just hex him right then and there to make him go away. But this was a muggle establishment, and there was no need to draw even more unwanted attention toward her.

The man was persistent. "Here, just let me at least buy you a drink," he responded, choosing to ignore her cool attitude toward him.

Couldn't he see? She was a very unhappy, very drunk woman who wanted to be alone, no, _needed_ to be alone. She felt her temper flare and threw her hands up in exasperation. "Just leave me the hell alone," she hissed, jumping off the stool and crossing the crowded pub. On the one night she needed some alone time, she had to deal with this. She had no problems finding a way to be alone any other time, why tonight?

Tears began streaming down her face as she stumbled out of the noisy pub and into the quiet street of the muggle town just outside of Bristol. She shivered slightly, but didn't care that it was an abnormally cold October night, and she was clad in a sleeveless shirt. Oh Merlin, how she wished she could just die right now. Just lie down in the street, curl up, and die. But that would be too simple.

Her mind worked against her own will, bringing back memories of what had happened on this day three years before. The memory that was causing her such a terrible pain, the worst kind of pain a person can deal with in their life. The sort of pain that didn't have a remedy, the kind that stuck around until death struck. It was heartache, plain and simple.

Why did she listen to him? What on earth possessed her to, for the one and only time in her life, consent to his orders? She recalled his frantic orders on that fateful night; she remembered as if it had all happened just yesterday.

_Hermione stood, glued to the spot. She'd heard footsteps approaching from around the corner, and knew what that meant. They hadn't much time at all. "Hermione," Ron hissed from behind her._

_She looked at him, feeling terrified and brave all at once. This shouldn't have happened. They weren't supposed to be taken, held hostage for the remainder of the war. She felt like stomping her feet and throwing a tantrum, but honestly didn't have the strength to do so. "We have to go," she whispered dumbly._

"_Obviously," he replied, looking down at her, his eyes searching hers, trying to make sure that she was alright. "You remember the way out of here?"_

_She nodded, recalling their plan of escape. Then it dawned on her. "Aren't you coming along?" she asked, feeling hysteria rise within her._

"_Yes, but I'm just going to hold them off a bit first. I want you to go ahead. I'll catch up," he said calmly, although not really feeling calm at all inside. She needed to get out of there, and quick._

_She felt her eyes fill up with tears. She doubted that even he believed himself when he said 'I'll catch up.' Looking up at him defiantly, she said, "I'm not going anywhere without you."_

_Instead of starting up an argument for which they had no time, Ron pulled her into a tight hug, then leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. He'd wanted to do that for so long, and now that he had, he wondered why he hadn't worked up the courage to do it before. "I love you," he whispered simply, looking into her eyes, trying to prove the truth in his words._

_Hermione let out a quiet sob and said, "I love you too." Why had they both chosen to keep that a secret until it was too late?_

_Ron choked back his own tears. The footsteps were getting closer. She needed to get out of there. "Listen, I want you to run. And no matter what, don't come back for me. I don't want any heroics from you." He swallowed hard, trying not to let her see him upset. She looked at him with complete trust and love, it was almost too much. "When I get out, I'll come looking for you."_

"_You promise?" she asked, not caring that his promise would most likely be an empty one. She just needed to hear him say it, needed to have something to hold onto._

"_I promise," he answered. "Now go." _

_She hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether her decision was the right one. But she trusted Ron completely. So, before he could order her to leave again, she darted out of the room and down the deserted corridor that would lead, hopefully, to her freedom._

Hermione was sobbing loudly now, stumbling down the street in a stupor, not taking notice of anything around her. Sure, she'd gotten her freedom, but for what? Dead parents and the death of the love of her life; her soul mate. For some time after the incident, she struggled with her own feelings and guilt. Some days, she would rejoice because the war was over, and her worry had lessened. But the moment she rejoiced, she felt guilty. Because it was, after all, her fault that Ron was no longer with them. And it was her fault her parents were killed. Why should she deserve any kind of happiness?

For these three years, she wanted so badly to visit the Burrow again. But how could she face the family after such a loss? She'd heard through the aurors she worked with that Harry and Ginny were getting married, and she was so happy for them. Only, if she was honest with herself, she wasn't. How could they have moved on so quickly, while she was alone, biding her time before her life would be over? Did they even care that she could quite possibly be dead? And Ron, what about him? He was Ginny's own brother, for God's sake!

While Harry and Ginny held cozy Ministry jobs, she was a bounty hunter, working her ass off to find the stray Death Eaters that had managed to escape the aurors. Not that she was too bitter or anything. Her bounty hunting was technically illegal in the magical world, so she was paid under the table by a sect of private aurors. She didn't get any public recognition for her services, just the satisfaction that she was making those bastards pay for the pain that was thrust upon her.

Her job kept her from having a permanent home, but she didn't mind. Traveling kept her mind clear, and didn't allow her depression to consume her. She was currently stationed in this village to keep a lookout for a particularly devious death eater, but how could they expect her to function properly on this night? She would worry about her duties in the morning.

Sobs racked her body as she made her way to the Inn that she was staying at. She still had a few more blocks to go. Hermione stopped in her tracks abruptly when she noticed footsteps closely following her own. Turning her head suspiciously to glance behind her, she let out a small gasp of surprise to see the man from the pub directly behind her.

"I didn't think it was safe for you to walk home by yourself in your condition," the man offered, his eyes wandering down her body.

Hermione snorted. "Home? Ha!" She sneered at him and continued, "Bugger off."

"I'm serious, just let me help you back," he pressed, grabbing her upper arm forcefully.

"Get your bloody hands off me!" she shrieked hysterically, trying to yank her arms out of his grasp. She reached in her pocket for her wand, but too late. Before she could wrap her mind around the situation, he had his wand out and pressed against her abdomen. "Wait one bloody second… You're a-"

The man nodded gleefully. "Don't recognize me, little miss bounty hunter?"

She tried to focus on him, kicking herself for having had so much to drink. "Damn." This was exactly the man she was supposed to be looking for.

"The men will be so pleased. We're going to have fun with you." He leered nastily at her, his eyes obviously raking up and down her body hungrily. "But first, I'm going to have a little fun myself."

Hermione didn't put up a fight as he steered her down an alleyway off to the right. She was too drained to try and do anything. And besides, if he wanted to kill her, then let him. Wasn't that exactly what she wanted? She gulped nervously when he cast a silencing charm on the alley. Then she remembered, her wand was still in her back pocket. He must have realized the same thing, because he then muttered, "Accio wand," and her wand went flying into his outstretched hand.

She chided herself for being so intoxicated and said coolly, "Bravo."

Throwing her wand down on the ground, he sauntered toward her, his eyes full of lust. She nearly vomited all over him when he dipped down and whispered, "You are a very beautiful woman, miss bounty hunter."

He forced her up against the wall, moving his hands over her body and working his way up her shirt. She squirmed beneath his touch, trying to break free and wishing that this would all be over soon. His hands found their way to her breasts and he groaned aloud as he felt their fullness. She gagged at his apparent lust for her and pleaded with him. "Just let me go. You can kill me. Just don't do this." She sobbed loudly as he began fumbling with her pants, his erection pressed against her belly. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the moment when he would finally figure out the fastenings of her pants. But, to her confusion and momentary relief, he stopped fumbling after a few moments and tensed.

Opening her eyes, she saw the man peering around the alley suspiciously, his eyes squinting to see through the darkness. "Thought I heard something," he mumbled to himself, before returning his attention to the woman pinned against him. "Where were we?" He began fingering her fastenings again, and her eyes squeezed shut once more, her moment of hope fading. And then she heard it, a definite rustle near them. She only hoped that it wasn't one of his cronies. But, even though she heard the noise, he wasn't paying attention. He was grinning stupidly in triumph as her pants finally came undone.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" Someone bellowed from behind them. Hermione screamed in surprise and crumpled to the ground when the Death Eater released her. She kept her eyes shut as she heard a loud bang followed by a thud as one of the men collapsed to the ground. "You alright?"

Hermione's eyes snapped open. A man was rushing up to her, kneeling beside her, concern evident in his eyes. Her heart stopped. Could it possibly be him? She felt a sudden rush of dizziness but managed to say, "Ron?"

**Lovely end to a chapter, don't you think? My chapters will generally be this length. I don't know why, but I can never seem to make them too lengthy. I would love some comments!**


	2. The tears fall

******UPDATE: Sorry for the 3 month lack of updates! I have more in store, but my laptop where all my upcoming chapters are stored is currently not in my possession due to a motherboard mishap. It should be sent back to me within the next week or so. Look for a new update within the next few weeks! I haven't abandoned this! )**

**This chapter is a bit smutty/ explicit, more so than the alley scene from the last chapter. So if you get easily offended by any of that stuff, then I don't suggest reading this chapter. Just thought I'd warn you guys, because I know that some younger people are reading this. So anyways, enjoy!**

Chapter Two.

_Hermione's eyes snapped open. A man was rushing up to her, kneeling beside her, concern evident in his eyes. Her heart stopped. Could it possibly be him? She felt a sudden dizziness but managed to say, "Ron?"_

The two stared at each other for a long moment, neither of them speaking. He took in the sight of her. Ron noticed how she looked just as gorgeous as he remembered, albeit noticeably drunk and understandably distressed.

Hermione broke the silence, asking in a confused tone, "But why are you-? And how are-? What the-?" She began sobbing heavily, wondering how on earth one person could shed so many tears in one night.

Ron knew it was her alright, but it was just too unbelievable. There she was, right in front of him. He reached out and ran his finger along her cheek, tracing the trail of tears there. She flinched at his touch, not being used to such gentle gestures. His heart clenched as he reached out and pulled her into his arms. Her arms automatically went around his neck as she cried deeply into his shoulder. "I've been looking everywhere for you," he said softly into her ear. He felt his own tears well in his eyes and squeezed them shut. His voice cracked slightly when he said, "I need to contact the ministry about-"

Hermione's head snapped up then. "You c-can't tell them about me," she said, choking on a sob.

He looked at her with confusion. "But you should probably get to-"

She cut him off, feeling panicked. "Just don't. Please you just can't!"

Realizing how serious she was, he nodded. "Ok, but I still have to get some aurors down here to take care of him," he said, glancing over at the stunned man on the ground a few feet away. Raising his wand, he shot off some sort of signal Hermione did not recognize. The sparks whizzed into the air and out of site. "Auror signal," he explained, hooking one arm beneath her legs and adjusting one arm around beneath her back. She gripped him tightly as he stood with ease. "They'll be here any moment, let's get you out of here."

"But won't they wonder w-where you are?" she asked, letting her head lean against his strong shoulder as he strode out of the alley.

"Nah, probably not. They'll just be happy to have this guy finally," he answered, thanking the gods above that he had found the two before anything nastier developed. He gave her an extra squeeze and asked, "So where am I taking you?"

"The Inn just up the w-way," she answered, her mind reeling. How could this actually be Ron… After all this time? She tried to wrap her mind around this situation, but it was just too crazy. It probably didn't help that she'd been drinking earlier either.

Ron quickened his pace when he heard the cracks of apparitions behind him. If Hermione didn't want to deal with the Ministry right now, then he was going to make sure that she didn't have to. After passing a few more buildings, the Inn was in view. He hurried inside, only stopping when they reached the lobby.

The Inn wasn't exactly the nicest of places, but it wasn't too shabby either. It was definitely a muggle establishment, he noticed. Still holding onto her, he asked, "So where to now?"

"Upstairs to room 203," she answered, holding on more tightly as he carried her up the stairs. She let go of his neck to dig into her pocket for the room key when they reached the door. Feeling the cool metal of the miniscule key beneath her touch, she pulled it out but was too late. Ron had already opened it with an easy 'Alohamora' and they were inside.

He set her down carefully onto the bed and stood back to get a good look at her. The room was dimly lit, far easier to see someone than outside in the dark. He studied her face carefully, making sure that she was indeed alright. She was blubbering steadily, but that was entirely understandable; he secretly wanted nothing more than to just sit there and hold her and cry along with her.

She watched him study her, and tried without luck to discontinue her weeping. He probably thought she'd gone completely mad, and at a glance down, realized that her pants' fastening was undone from earlier. Blushing, she quickly re-fastened them. Not bringing her eyes back up to meet his, she said, "Thank you for what y-you did back there. I d-don't know what I would have done without you."

Ron wanted badly to ask her a million questions. Why was she here? Where had she been all this time? Why did she disappear? These were just a few zooming through his mind when he walked back over and took her back into his arms. "Shhh…" he said, holding her tightly. "Everything is going to be alright." He decided to hold off on the questions until she had calmed down enough to answer.

It felt as if he held her for a lifetime, but neither of them was complaining. After a while of Ron whispering reassuring words and rubbing her back, Hermione finally managed to lessen her sobbing to mere sniffling.

"I thought you were dead," she croaked finally. "I kept my eye on the Prophet, but never noticed anything of you."

"Yeah. Well Harry's in the lime light mostly… Not that he _enjoys_ it," he muttered, stroking her hair. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Around," she replied. "My job keeps me on the go."

"Your job?" he asked curiously. What sort of job could she have that has kept her so well hidden?

Hermione stiffened in his arms, not sure about whether or not she should reveal to him the career path she had chosen. She chose instead to reply smartly. "Yes, my job," she snapped.

Ron pulled back a bit and looked into her eyes. "And what exactly is your job, Hermione?" The name sounded so weird spoken aloud. He'd tried so hard to avoid that name for so long, and here, now, he could say it without feeling any amount of rage or remorse cloud his mind.

Her cheeks burned, but he would find out sooner or later. Maybe now was better than him finding out from someone else later. "I've been… err…. Doing a sort of Auror work," she answered.

"No you haven't, because I'm an auror and I would have been able to find you if you were doing Auror work," he replied, still keeping eye contact with her.

"I've been working for a private sect," she said, barely above a whisper.

"You've been working for a private sect," he repeated, trying to register what she was saying.

"Have you been hunting DE's undercover?" His eyes flashed with anger, making Hermione shudder.

Her voice seemed to have left her, so she nodded slightly, turning herself away from him so she didn't have to see his anger.

"Hermione, that's illegal that is. You could get in huge trouble with the Ministry, go to Azkaban even," he said, not sounding angry exactly, but more frightened than anything.

"Don't you think I know that?" she said, still not facing him. She rubbed her eyes so as not to let more tears flow. "Why do you think I didn't want to be near Ministry officials right now?"

"Well you've got to stop this work," he said in a determined tone.

She laughed bitterly. "And do what? Live in that alley back there?" she asked sarcastically. "And besides, I won't get let off that easy. I've promised them five years, and it's only been three."

"They'll let you off if they're put away in Azkaban," he replied fiercely.

"You don't think they'd miss a chance to bring everyone down with them?" she snorted. "They'd turn me in before you could say 'Chocolate Frogs.'"

Ron groaned. "What have you gotten yourself into?" He stood up and began pacing the room. "You'll just have to come home with me. They won't find you if-"

"Ron, they can find all the Death Eaters that the Ministry can't. Don't you think they'd be able to find me if they wanted?"

He considered what she said. She did have a point. "Well I can't just sit around and let you do this. It's illegal, and above all dangerous."

Hermione sighed in exasperation. They'd spent all of five minutes together after three excruciating years apart, and they were already arguing. "Don't you think I know all that already? When I took this job, I took it because, quite frankly, I didn't care if I died. Up until five minutes ago, Ron, I _wanted _to die. I was ready for it-- ready for the end. I've had nothing to live for during these past three years. No family to speak of, no friends, no one to turn to. So I took a job that would carry me far away from the nothingness I had." Her voice was thick with the emotion that she was trying to keep at bay. She was not going to cry again that night. Looking up at him, though, she noticed his first sign of tears as he studied her helplessly.

Ron had flinched when the words 'I wanted to die' left her mouth. What if he hadn't been there to stop Ellsworth from hurting her just a few moments ago? Would he have killed her? Would she have let him—welcomed him to even? His voice cracked when he said, "I'm sorry, Hermione. I really am."

"Sorry for what exactly?" she replied, amazed at herself for being so under control and thinking so clearly after all the drinks she'd had earlier.

"Sorry that you've had to go through all of this. Sorry that I couldn't be there for you when you needed me. Sorry that even though I looked, I couldn't find you until now. Sorry that you've had to feel like you're alone in the world—when you're not and never were. I've been looking for you for three years, Hermione, and loved you for every second of every minute of those years and—" But he didn't get to finish because Hermione had stood up and silenced him with a reluctant kiss. A reluctant kiss that quickly turned into a kiss of hunger—of need to be with each other.

Hermione moaned and felt her knees give way when Ron parted her lips with his own and kissed her fiercely. She felt him hoist her up into his strong arms to keep her from falling and she quickly wrapped her legs around him to secure herself. She heard herself gasp when Ron nipped hungrily away at her neck and down her shoulder, thanking the gods that she chose tonight to wear a sleeveless top.

Her legs wrapped around him more tightly as he began walking, slightly stumbling in his haste, to the bed where he managed to lower both of them down onto it without losing contact. He resumed kissing her, reveling in how she matched his eagerness with his own. This felt so right, so perfect. Suddenly, without warning, Hermione stopped kissing him and pushed him up off of her. Confused, Ron backed off, making his way to get completely off the bed.

"No," she said, breathing heavily. "I just…" And she pulled her shirt up and over her head and tossed it onto the floor next to the bed.

Ron gaped at her. Even in his wildest fantasies it had not been that easy. He sat there, unmoving for what seemed like an eternity—a glorious eternity. She was absolutely breathtaking, sitting before him, her hair wild, lips swollen and chest rising and falling heavily. He felt as if he could sit there all night and just watch her, study the woman—no, the goddess— who had haunted his dreams since boyhood. But no, that just wouldn't do. His pants felt suddenly and painfully restricting as he made his way back over to her.

"Beautiful," she heard him whisper as he climbed back over her and kissed her gently, his hand smoothing over her flat tummy and up to her breasts. She felt his covered hardness brush against her inner thigh and shivered—she had done that to him. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him. Suddenly wanting to see more of him, she worked on the buttons of his muggle shirt as he continued to gently massage her breasts.

"I can't get them undone," she whispered breathlessly, moaning as he leaned down and feasted on her right breast. "Ron."

He growled before sitting up and, making quick work of his shirt, threw it on the floor with hers. She watched in awe as he leaned back down and continued ravishing her. With every move he made, the muscles in his back worked and flexed beautifully. She ran her fingers along his beautiful back—How on earth could someone have such a beautiful back?—and watched as his muscles tensed and relaxed in her wake.

Continuing to run her hands up and down his back, she suddenly paused when she brushed against his wand tucked away in his back pocket. She let out an exasperated cry as her hand flew up to cover her mouth.

Ron backed off, looking apologetic. "So sorry, whatever I did… I didn't mean—did I hurt you?"

She shook her head quickly and sat up. "I left my wand in the alley."

Ron groaned, mentally chiding himself for not picking it up earlier.

"I'm sure the aurors found it. I know they did—Oh Merlin!" She felt panicked and crawled off the bed, bending over and picking up her shirt off the floor. "I have to go back and see—"

Ron watched miserably as she pulled her shirt over her head, wondering if he'd ever get to see that sight again. "No, let me go look. You don't need to be wandering out alone right now," he offered, moving off of the bed as well and pulling on his shirt.

"I'll be alright," she said defensively.

"Without your wand, at night, and after what you've been through? I'm going," he replied in a firm tone. So much like the Ron from three years ago, Hermione noticed. That possessiveness and stubbornness was not at all surprising coming from him.

She sighed and flopped down on the bed. "What if the ministry has it?" she wondered aloud.

"Then I'll just have to head up there and try to get it," he answered, not sure of how well that would work out.

She propped herself up on an elbow and studied him. "You can do that?"

Ron shrugged, "I can try at least. Now, you stay put. I'll be back as soon as I can. Hopefully it won't take long."

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched him turn and start toward the door, leaving her alone once more. "Ron?" she called out uncertainly as he pulled open the door.

He turned around and stared at her meaningfully. "Yeah?"

"I love you," she said, surprising herself as well as Ron.

"I love you, too," he replied, grinning his all-too gorgeous lopsided grin that she had missed so much over the years. Her heart swelled at his admission, and for a moment she wanted to pull him back over to the bed and forget about the wand. But the wand really couldn't wait. She didn't even want to think about what her bosses would do once they got wind of what had happened; she knew that they would not be happy.

**Well, this chapter ended up being slightly longer than the last—surprising! Not so much of a cliffy ending this time. I'd love some comments!**

**UPDATE: Sorry for the 3 month lack of updates! I have more in store, but my laptop where all my upcoming chapters are stored is currently not in my possession due to a motherboard mishap. Look for a new update within the next few weeks! I haven't abandoned this! )**


	3. Hands through her dark hair

**I told you I hadn't abandoned the story! Yes, my apologies for this major (well, more than major) delay in updates. I won't wait months before I update it again next time! Feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions or anything else along that line. I'd love to hear from you!**

**Warning: Major fluff in this chapter.**

**You have been warned…**

Chapter Three.

Hermione flopped back down on the bed, suddenly feeling very alone and just realizing how rapidly her heart was beating. Ron was back. He was back! And he'd said he loved her! She felt like shouting out the window or jumping on the bed. What a glorious moment that had been.

But the thought of her wand being in the hands of some ministry members put a cloud over her happy feelings. What if Ron couldn't get it back? What if they figured out where she was and came for her tomorrow? What if her _bosses_ found out and came for her tomorrow? She shuddered involuntarily. They somehow seemed to know everything that went on at the ministry—a fact that they made very clear to Hermione quite often. Ron had better get that wand, because basically her whole life depended on it.

What she really wanted to do was pace the room until Ron returned, but her own body protested at the thought of such an effort. Without anything to preoccupy her mind, she began to notice how sore she actually was from the events earlier. She noticed newly blackening bruises around her arms where the death eater had handled her so roughly, and judged from the pain in her back that there were more bruises to be found there, too. Thanks to that brick wall. She shuddered, thinking about what predicament she'd be in now if Ron hadn't miraculously shown up.

All these thoughts and worries cluttering her mind did not last long, however, because she fell quickly into a deep slumber, not having been both so physically and emotionally drained since the days of the War. She had no idea how long she slept, and later awoke to the feeling of eyes upon her.

She squinted against the morning sun-- How long had she been sleeping? -- To see Ron lying next to her. His ears reddened at being caught watching her and he cleared his throat nervously. "Good morning," he said softly, flashing her a small smile.

"Morning," she replied sleepily, wincing as she stretched a bit. Her joints were stiff, and the sun did nothing to soothe the pounding in her head.

Noticing her discomfort, he asked, "Need anything?"

"Only if you've got something for a hangover," she answered, burying her head into her pillow. That sunlight was killer!

Ron never thought he'd see the day when Hermione would be hung over. It really had been a long time that they'd been apart… So much had changed. "You're in luck," he answered, digging into his robes pocket and producing a small vile.

She looked up at curiously. "Why'd you have this?" she asked.

"I was planning on going out after work," he answered simply, watching her sit up in bed stiffly.

Taking the vile from his hand, she said, "Thanks for this."

He watched as she popped open the vile. Making a face of disgust, she held her nose with one hand and downed the potion in one gulp. Ron began wondering if she even remembered everything that had happened the night before. "Hermione… Do you remember last night?"

She felt herself flush. "Y-yes, of course I remember!" He looked at her doubtfully, and she felt her anger rise. "Ronald! I do remember! I'll prove it! Last night, I was at the pub when some arse began bothering me. All I wanted to do was spend the night alone, and he was so insistent. So I left. Turns out that bugger was the very DE I was assigned to nab. He somehow knew who I was and got me into that alley you found me in. You saved me and brought me back up here. We were… Umm…" She felt her cheeks burn as she fumbled for a way to put it that didn't sound dirty. Yes, she had changed, but she still felt uncomfortable. "Well, we were… You know, and then I remembered about my wand-- My wand!" Her eyes widened.

"Don't worry, I have it," he said calmly, pulling it out of his pocket and handing it to her. "Somehow the aurors had looked over it."

Her jaw dropped, and then she dove at Ron and pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you," she squealed, her arms wrapped around his neck

He wrapped his strong arms tightly around her back, and heard her sharp intake of breath. "Your back hurt?" he asked, lightening his grip on her.

She shrugged, disentangling herself from their embrace to sit beside him on the bed. "A bit," she admitted, not caring when he lifted her shirt up to take a look at her back.

"Merlin," he gasped, seeing the dark bruises decorating her back. "He must have been rough… That bastard."

She felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She was going to cry in front of Ron for the millionth time in less than twenty four hours. She wasn't even particularly sad or upset, just a bit frazzled… She shouldn't be crying.

"Mind if I heal them?" she heard him ask.

She shook her head, not trusting herself to say anything for fear of bursting into tears. She listened as he performed perfect healing charms on the bruises, and then gently ran his fingers along her spine, making her shiver involuntarily.

He lowered her shirt back down, and then pulled her into an embrace from behind, his arms wrapped around her waist. "Your back still looks bruised, but it shouldn't hurt anymore," he whispered, his chin resting on her shoulder. And that's when he heard her sniffling. "Hermione… Are you crying?"

"No," she answered, her voice cracking slightly, giving herself away. She was quiet for a moment, before saying, "Well, yes."

Ron delicately turned her around to face him, his expression full of concern and puzzlement. "And may I ask why?" he asked questioned softly.

"You probably think I'm completely unbalanced," she replied sorrowfully, "And maybe I am. But yesterday was just so… Bizarre. I- I thought I had everything figured out. I'd come to accept what had happened. And then…. Then you showed up. You're alive. You come out of nowhere and suddenly I have hope. You just came out of nowhere…" And then she leaned her head against Ron's chest and cried.

"It's alright," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I'm here now."

"But how do I know you'll stay?" she said, coughing into her hand. "How do I know that I won't be alone tomorrow? What if tomorrow I'm back to where I was before? I don't know if I c-can do that again… Not after last night... Three years I've gone without a s-single friend. Three years, Ron…"

Ron swallowed the lump in his throat. She hadn't had anyone for all this time… And he thought he'd been through tough times. He hadn't had to go through half of what she had. He'd still had Harry and his family. She, on the other hand, didn't have anyone to lean on. But she did now. "Hermione, I promise you that I will not leave you. Ever."

Hermione cried harder, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. She remembered a similar promise from three years ago.

_Ron choked back his own tears. The footsteps were getting closer. She needed to get out of there. "Listen, I want you to run. And no matter what, don't come back for me. I don't want any heroics from you." He swallowed hard, trying not to let her see him upset. She looked at him with complete trust and love, it was almost too much. "When I get out, I'll come looking for you."_

_"You promise?" she asked, not caring that his promise would most likely be an empty one. She just needed to hear him say it, needed to have something to hold onto._

_"I promise," he answered. "Now go." _

Hermione knew it was silly to compare this situation to that one. And he actually had kept that promise from three years ago… Hadn't he been looking for her all this time?

"Listen to me, Hermione. There's no way you'll ever get rid of me… Even if you wanted to." He smiled to himself. "You have no need to worry about anything. I love you, and reckon I always have. Please, stop crying. I hate to see you this way."

Hermione shuddered, trying to regain some control over her tears. She felt Ron's fingers thread through her hair. She needed to calm down.

They sat for a few minutes in comfortable silence, Ron fiddling with her hair while she tried to regain some composure. Finally, Ron decided to speak. "Hermione, I want you to come to the Burrow with me. Would that be alright?"

Hermione pulled back a bit to study his face with her own watery eyes. She just looked at him for a few moments before saying, "But I don't have a thing to wear."

"Just wear what you've got on," Ron suggested with a shrug of the shoulders.

Hermione looked down at herself and blanched. "No way am I wearing this in front of you parents."

"Just put your robes on over that then," he replied simply.

Hermione flushed a bit and said, "I don't really have any nice robes. Mine are… Not really suitable for wear in front of people."

Ron gave her a puzzled look.

She accio'd her robes out of her small suitcase to show him. "See, I haven't really worn them in months. They're pretty much ruined since Jenkins caught them on fire a few months back." She fingered the shredded fabric thoughtfully.

Ron gaped at her. She said it so matter-of-factly. Like witches normally get into brawls with Death Eaters and get their robes ruined. He swallowed hard and then said, "You got into it with Jenkins?"

Hermione took note of the amazement in his voice and nodded. "He was a right pain in the arse, too. Almost thought I wouldn't make it out of that duel alive."

"Were you alone?" he asked seriously.

"Of course," she replied flippantly. "I always go on missions alone."

Ron's eyes flashed angrily. "How can they just send you out on your own to go after DEs? That's unethical, that is!"

"Well, they aren't exactly the most compassionate human beings," she answered, still fingering the shredded leftovers of her robes.

Ron looked down at the robes she was fiddling with and said softly, "You can't go back."

Her gaze met his. "But I have to," she said simply.

"No, you don't," he said sternly. "I will not let you go back to that. It's too dangerous!"

Hermione scoffed at him. "I've survived this long, haven't I? I'm a pretty capable witch, or at least I like to think that. I can do two more years, no big deal."

Oh, but it was a big deal. "You are not going back there, do you understand?" he said, his eyes flashing.

Hermione wanted to scream at him. "Who are you, my father? I can't just stop showing up to work. It doesn't work that way, Ron. Even if I wanted to stop, I can't. Two more years, that's what I've got left-- Two years!" She crawled off the bed and stomped over to her suitcase.

He watched as she stuffed her robes into her suitcase and picked it up. Panicked, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"I've got to report back," she replied coolly, not looking him directly, but choosing to stare down at the floor instead.

Ron jumped off the bed and practically lunged at her, grabbing hold of her upper arms firmly. "Please come to the Burrow with me first," he begged, his mind reeling. He couldn't let her go now. Not after all of this.

She looked into his blue eyes, so full of concern and fright.

"Please," he repeated. "Come to the Burrow with me."

She felt her resolve crumbling as she stared up into those beautiful blue eyes. How could she say no those baby blues? "But what will I wear?" she heard herself ask.

Ron laughed out of pure relief and gathered her up in his arms. "Thank you," he whispered into her ear. "Thank you, thank you."

**Okay, at this point, I'd had no idea where I was going with this chapter (or the story for that matter), but I think I got back into a good direction. What's in store for them next? Reviews are amazingly wonderful! And, no, the next chapter is not the last. I couldn't let it end there. No cheesy ending is in store for this story any time soon. I don't plan on it being quite so fluffy in the next chapter, but I can't promise anything.**


	4. Let her go

Chapter Four.

Hermione self-consciously toyed with the hem of her dress as they approached the Burrow. She sucked in her breath at the sight of it. It still looked the same as it had when she last saw it years before. As Ron continued to walk briskly up the front lawn, Hermione hesitated and fell back. She stood rooted to the spot for a few seconds until Ron turned around and saw her frozen in place, just staring up at the house. He turned and walked back to her.

"You okay?" he asked softly, brushing the hair out of her face and studying her expression.

She swallowed hard. "I'm okay," she replied uncertainly, still fingering the soft material of her dress.

"You look gorgeous," he whispered in his adoring way, grinning at her. They went to Bristol to buy her a muggle dress to wear to the Burrow since none of her clothes seemed appropriate to wear, and she absolutely refused to go to Diagon Alley and get new robes.

"Thanks," she said, feeling her cheeks redden at the compliment.

"Ready to head on in?" he asked, nodding his head in the direction of the house. When she didn't respond either way, he grabbed her hand and lightly tugged her toward the house.

She followed, her stomach tied in knots. This was not going to be easy. Merlin, she hoped she didn't cry. When they reached the front door, Ron gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before gently opening it.

"Mum?" he called out, walking lightly into the house with Hermione's hand still in his.

Hermione heard a lot of happy voices coming from the kitchen and hissed into Ron's ear, "I didn't know there was a big event going on here today."

"Just Sunday brunch," he whispered back, leading her closer to the kitchen. But she jerked her hand out of his and took a few steps back.

"I can't just waltz in there," she said softly, looking hesitant. "It'll be too…"

"It'll be fine, Hermione," he replied. "I wouldn't bring you here if I didn't-"

"Ronald?" Mrs. Weasley called out, cutting him off. "Is that you?" She bustled out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of what looked like scrambled eggs. "Oh it is, I was just--" she stopped mid sentence and stared at Hermione. "What, what… I mean--" Mrs. Weasley stumbled over her words for a moment before Ron cut in.

"I found her, Mum," Ron said, looking pleased but serious.

"You found her," she said, the bowl of eggs slipping out of her hands and clattering to the floor; but she didn't even notice as she crossed the room with her arms outstretched and enveloped Hermione into a bone-breaking hug. "My darling, darling girl," she whispered into her hair, pulling away and studying her with watery eyes.

"Mum, what was that crash?" a familiar voice called from the kitchen. Ginny Weasley walked into the living room, and practically shouted, "Merlin! Hermione?!"

An immediate scraping of chairs and collective shuffling of feet could be heard from the kitchen, and very quickly the room was filled with a bunch of red-heads, all craning to get a look at the present situation.

Hermione's attention was drawn to the one person in the room besides herself that lacked the famous Weasley hair. Harry Potter was gaping at her, blinking quickly and mouth hanging open. "Hermione?" he said hoarsely, squeezing past an equally shocked set of twins gaping at her.

Hermione felt tears spilling down her cheeks. Cursing herself, she felt Harry's strong arms pull her into a tight hug. "Where have you been?" he asked in wonder, his voice cracking.

At this point, though, she wasn't in the best state to answer many questions. She was clutching Harry to her, crying heavily. Harry helped her sit down on the nearest couch then sat down next to her. "It's okay Hermione, you don't have to say anything until you're ready," she heard Ron say; he mentally kicked himself for bringing her here-- of course this would be tough for her, being suddenly surrounded by so many familiar faces wishing for so many answers.

"Are you mad? We want to know everything!" George said, earning him a punch on the arm from Fred.

"Quit being a prat, George," Fred said in a serious tone. "Can't you see that the girl is not fit to talk right now?"

"Sorry, H'Mione-- it's just that it has been so long! Ron has just about driven himself mad looking for you," George said, rubbing his arm where Fred had nabbed it.

Hermione took a few deep breaths before standing. "I'm sorry… If you'll j-just excuse me for a moment-- I need some air," she rasped, stumbling through the crowd. When she reached the front door she felt a strong hand wrap around her upper arm

"Do we need to take the poor dear to St. Mungo's?" Molly's concerned voice sounded over everyone else.

"No mum! We'll be right back!" Ron called then whispered into her ear, "I'm sorry. Let's go out into the garden."

Hermione tried to regain some self-composure when they reached the back garden, taking a few deep breaths of fresh air.

"I'm sorry Hermione," Ron said quietly after a moment. "I really thought you were ready to go in there… I never would have forced you if--"

"Don't apologize. I'm fine," she said, then, after looking at Ron's doubtful expression continued with, "What? I'm serious. I'm just… Overwhelmed. Yes, overwhelmed, that's all."

"Well, I wasn't thinking when I brought you here… I just thought that after all this time--" he stopped short when he heard approaching footsteps and turned to see Harry marching briskly toward them.

"Hey mate, mind if I talk with her for a minute?" Harry asked Ron in what he hoped was a light-hearted tone.

Ron turned from Harry to look at Hermione for a long moment, as if memorizing all her features before he had to walk away from her. "Go ahead," he replied, turning to look at Harry once more, "I'll just be inside."

As Ron walked away, he said very quietly to Harry, "Don't let her go anywhere." Harry shot his friend a confused look as he walked away, but shook his head after a moment and turned his attention the woman in front of him.

"Why did you disappear like that?" Harry asked so quietly that Hermione almost didn't hear him. She was surprised to see how anguished he looked, and felt a stab of guilt. She'd definitely hurt more than one person during her absence… But then again, she had suffered, too. Oh how she had suffered! She had been through more than any of them could imagine… She felt herself get more defensive as her initial feeling of guilt ebbed away.

"Harry, I've been through a lot," she replied, keeping her tone level as she looked him in the eyes. "A lot."

"Well, hell Hermione, we've been through a lot around here too, you know?" Harry said, trying to keep his emotion in check. "What do you think it was like to watch Ron spend _years_ looking for you? We all thought you were… Dead. Well, all of us save Ron, of course. Watching him go mad looking for you, watching him struggle to live without you, with the guilt of your absence always with him, has been the hardest thing this family has ever been through." Harry, not able to look Hermione in the eyes, took a few deep breaths to keep his tears from making an appearance. More quietly he said, "We've all missed you more than anything. Anything in the world."

Wordlessly, Hermione pulled Harry into a hug, feeling his arms wrap tightly around her as he sobbed into her shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I really am sorry." They stayed like that for a few minutes, Hermione letting him cling to her tightly. She could only imagine what he had been through and knew that he probably had his fair share of guilt about what may have happened to her weighing him down as well. Finally, they pulled apart, and Hermione took a few small steps backward. "I'll be back," she said in an almost whisper.

Harry gave her a confused look as she continued to take small steps backward, away from him and away from the Burrow. "What're you on about?"

"Just tell him I'll be back," she said more loudly.

Harry was frightened by the determined look in her eyes. "Hermione," he said warningly, making his way toward her.

She shook her head as she pulled her wand out of the pocket of her dress. "I'm sorry," she said in a wavering voice, before waving her wand. And with a small crack, she was gone.

_Dun dun dun… Gosh, this was certainly a long time coming! My apologies. Feel free to throw rocks at me or reviews. _


	5. Let her walk right out on me

Chapter 5.

_She shook her head as she pulled her wand out of the pocket of her dress. "I'm sorry," she said in a wavering voice, before waving her wand. And with a small crack, she was gone._

Ron ran outside only moments after Hermione vanished. "Harry!" he roared as he caught up to his best friend standing in the middle of the garden where he had been speaking with Hermione only moments before.

Harry, still trying to register what had just taken place only moments before, said nothing but instead stared blankly at the place where Hermione had vanished.

"I thought I said not to let her go anywhere!" Ron bellowed, his voice cracking. He blinked rapidly, obviously trying to keep his tears at bay. "Harry…"

At this point the rest of the Weasley household was now standing in the garden, staring at the two men and whispering amongst themselves, no doubt discussing the whereabouts of Hermione she had left without any apparent reason or explanation.

"Ron, I-I," he began, still staring at the spot where Hermione had stood just moments before. "I don't know where she went," he finished lamely, finally looking into his friend's face.

Ron sunk slowly onto his knees, covering his face with his hands. "I told you to make sure she stayed put," he said thickly as his voice quavered.

"She said she'll be back," Harry offered, feeling more and more helpless as he watched his best friend deal with the harsh reality of losing the love of his life for a second time. "She said that she's sorry and that she'll be back."

"Oh yeah?" Ron said, looking up at Harry with tear-filled eyes. "Think it likely she'll turn up in less than a few years? Because that's how long I've bleeding been looking for her!" He stood up gracefully from the ground and glared at Harry. "How could you just let her go?"

The tone of Ron's voice when he asked this question startled Harry. It was filled with such an obvious contempt, Harry was hardly sure if he was still talking to the same man that had been his best friend since they were eleven. "I didn't know what she was doing. She-"

"Oh please, Harry!" Ron snarled, his eyes flashing. "I saw. I was watching. It was obvious that she was about to leave. And you didn't stop her!"

"Ron, will you listen to me?" Harry bellowed back, grabbing hold of Ron's shoulder roughly. "Do you think I wanted her to leave? Do you think if I had known that she was about to Apparate, I would have let her? She is one of my best friends! And in case you haven't noticed, her disappearance has had me torn up for a long time, too! So don't act like you're the only one who cares about her! All of us do! There isn't a single person here who doesn't care about Hermione! So don't you dare try to twist this around to make it seem like I don't! Because I do, too!"

Harry's eyes glinted fiercely, and Ron knew that he cared about Hermione almost as much as he did. His nodded his head roughly before walking around Harry and back toward the Burrow where the cluster of Weasleys stood eagerly awaiting an explanation.

"Hey Ron, where'd Hermione-" George began, but immediately hushed when Mrs. Weasley shot him a glance of complete fury.

"Ron, dear?" Mrs. Weasley said tentatively as Ron stumbled through the group of family members and into the kitchen. She bustled in after him and shut the door quietly behind herself, leaving the rest of her children in the garden. They collectively stared at Ginny, who took it as her cue to go over to her fiancée who was still standing in the middle of the garden with his back toward them.

"Harry?" Ginny said quietly as she neared him. He didn't say anything, but continued to stand with his back toward her as if she hadn't said a word to him. She touched his arm gently as she came around to stand in front of him. She frowned at the sight of him with tears streaming silently and steadily down his face.

His glassy eyes roamed over her face for a second before he whispered in a choked voice, "I just let her go."

"Aw, Harry," she crooned, pulling him into an embrace and rubbing his back as he cried softly into the crook of her neck. "It isn't your fault," she assured him.

"But I should have-" he began, still resting his head on her shoulder, allowing himself to be comforted by the only person in the world who could truly offer him any sort of solace.

"No, don't go down that road again," she warned fiercely, pushing him back to look into his eyes. "I've had quite enough of that. There was nothing you could do… Nothing," she repeated when Harry gave her a doubtful look.

"I yelled at her," he said, not meeting her eyes. "I asked her why she'd never come back to us and told her how mad Ron has been over-"

"Harry!" she cut in, raising his chin so that his eyes met hers once more. "I've wondered the same thing! We all have! She had to have known she'd be met with these questions, she's a smart witch. It is not your fault that she left!"

"But did you see Ron? Hermione is his everything! He told me to be careful not to let her leave, but I still let her get away, I just let her…"

"This is Hermione's doing. If anyone is to blame, it's her." Harry noticed the glint of anger in her eyes as she said 'Hermione.' "Now, let's go inside and see what we can do to help Ron. No use standing here blaming yourself."

Harry nodded and wiped his face with the backs of his hands and sniffed loudly. He took Ginny's offered hand and walked back into the house followed by the rest of the Weasleys where an anxious and upset Ron was no doubt frantically trying to figure out where the love of his life could have possibly gotten to.

_Yes, so I didn't forget about this story, but I'm wondering if some of you have. ____ Reviews are a wonderful thing!_


	6. Update Alert!

Update alert:

This is just to let anyone know who may be interested that I am working on updating this story in the near future (within the next few weeks). So just keep a lookout!

Thanks to those of you who have left wonderful feedback for me. I know I abandoned this story a long time ago, but I stumbled upon all my emails that contained wonderful messages, and its inspired me to finish what Ive started!

I hope the rest of this story lives up to any expectations! J

Be back soon with a REAL update!

-Sarah


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